Lamp-socket fixture



Oct. 27,1925. 1,559,227

F. L. DE LA POTTERIE LAMP SOCKET FIXTURE Filed Sept. 9, 1924 INVENTOR 4 ORN Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES FRANK LOUIS DE LA POTTERIE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LAMP-SOCKET FIXTURE.

Application filed September 9, 1924. Serial No. 736,732.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that l. Fnaxn LOL'IS on LA PO'l"lER[E, a citizen of the United States. residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp- Socket Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

A This invention relates to lamp socket fixtures, an object of the invention being to provide a device of this kind in which the parts maybe readily and easily wired and assembled and taken apart without the use of any tools or instruments, and wherein the construction is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, thoroughly insulated at all times. dust and damp proof.

further object of the invention is to provide a lamp socket fixture comprising an imperforate insulated shell preferably formed of some insulating material such as porcelain, such shell having axial openings at the top and bottom and imperforate side walls, and a lamp socket insertable through the bottom opening, and having spring members adapted to engage with interior notches or recesses in the shell for releasably locking the socket and shell together, the spring locking means being effective to permit the socket to be readily removed merely by pulling it out of the shell.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the zircon:panving drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views and wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating the parts as scmblcd; Fig. 2 is a side view illustrating the socket which is insertable in the shell; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the socket.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode of operation thereof, I desire to have it understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and that the phraseology which I employ is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated by way of example, a present preferred formofmy invention, it will be seen that it comprises a shell 9 which is preferably formed of insulating material, such as porcelain. The major ortion 10 of the interior of the shell is cylindrical in form, the inner wall terminating adjacent to the top of the shell in an annular in wardly extending shoulder 11. The upper part of the shell forms a chamber 12 and extends inwardly to form an axial opening at the top of the shell of less diameter than the central. cylindrical chamber 10. Secured to the upper end of the shell 9 is a nipple 13 whichis of suitable diameter to overlap the edges of the top opening in the shell so as to rest thereon. The nipple 13 is preferably formed of brass and is provided with an annulantlange 14 fitting into the opening at the top of the chamber 12 and the nipple is secured in place by swaging or bending outwardly the edges of the flange 14 into an annular groove formed in the wall of the shell. The nipple 13 has an axial opening communicating with the chamber 12 and is provided with threads to permit the nipple to be screwed on to the end of the usual conduit thru which the wires 51 are conducted to the socket. To hold the shell with its nipple 13 in place on the conduit against inadvertent unscrewing, the nipple is tapped at 16 and by means of a set screw 17 the nipple may be secured to the conduit. At the upper part of the in ner wall 10 of the shell and adjacent to the shoulder 11 the shell 5) is provided with a pair of diametrically located notches or recesses 18. The lower end of the shell is provided with an annular groove 19 extending around the outside thereof, by means of which a lamp shade may be secured to the device if desired. The interior wall 10 of the shell at the lower end thereof is provided with a pair of grooves 20 which are diametrically located and which are vertically alined with the notches or recesses 18. These grooves 20 extend part Way up the inner wall of the shell 9 and the upper ends of the grooves are tapered at 20.

The lamp socket proper which is normally housed within the porcelain shell 9 comprises a metal screw shell 21 which may be of the usual commercial type, and upon the top face of this shell is mounted a porcelain disk 22. Upon the upper fiat face of the porcelain insulator 22 is mounted a metal device 24 The porcelain, disk 22 and the member- 24 are secured to the top of the screw shell 21 by means of screws 28; The member '24 is, formed: to provide a, combined binding post and spring means for releasably connecting the screw shall within; the porcelain shell 9. and comprises a metal strip extending transversely across theupper face of the porcelain disk 22 and bent at theends to provide upwardly projecting spring arms 25*. Each spring arm 25 adjacent the upper end thereofis olfset or formed with outwardly projecting l'ug's 26.

The metal strip} 245 is stamped out to providea centrally laterally projecting por-. ti'on- 27] which is bent to. provide an 'up- \vardly projecting portion 28 tapped to receive a binding screw 29 thereby forming a binding post. Di'an'iet rically opposite the binding post 28, a suitable binding post 30 havinga binding; screw 3T is secured to the porcelain disk 22;

In using the present improved lamp socket device, the wires. 5'1 are carried, out thru the conduit 50 in the wall, and the porcelain receptacle or shell 9 is secured to the end of the" conduit 50 by means of the threaded nipple 13-,asshown in 1'. The wires 51 extend thru the shell 9 and are attached in, the usual manner to the bind -i ingposts 28 and 30; Thereupon, the socket is inserted in the lower end of the shell- 9, the spring arms 2:) being first contracted under tension and the lugs or projections 26, positioned in the grooa'es In this manner the spring arm 25 will be vertically al'i'ned with the notches 18 at the upper end of the shell 9., and the socket is then thrust or pushed upwardly i to the, cylindrical bore 10 of the porcelain shell until the lugs 26 reach the notches or recesses I8 at which point the spring arms. will expand and force the lugs into the notches l9. In this position. the upper ends of the spring arms 2: will engage the annular shoulder I11, and the lower eud of the screw shell 21 will be flush with the lower end of the shell. 9

It will be particularly noted that. a relatively large cji-an'iber formed between the. top of the orc'elain disk 22 and the; up per end f t 1e chamber L2 f the p r lain shell 9. so that. ample, space thus, provided for housing the surplus wir s. Thus b providing inwardly proiectlng spring arms 25' which lo'c k in the position shown in Flg. 1. an additional space is providedbetween the spring arms for housing surplus wire, and it is unnecessary as heretofore to pull back the surplus feed wires thru' the top of the device. The outer face of the lugs, or projections 26 are rounded or tapered, so that it will be seen that the socket may be, readily Withdrawn from the shell 9 merely y inserting the fifigls in the" SCIW Shell 2,1; and pulling it; out of the sll ll, In this way-a quick action can be hadto the Wire connect-ions without necessitating the reingva l of the shell- 9: Eurt hermore, it will be noted that the construction enables the sllel litlltiobe first screwed on to the end of the conduit 50 before inserting the socket within the porcelain shell or receptacle. \Vhere, as heretofore, the socket and shell are first assembled and then screwed onto the end of a conduit, this results in twisting thewi'res and frequently disturbing the connections of the wires to, the binding posts.

By virtue of the present invention, how-. ever, the socket may be inserted and removed readily independently. of the shell 9. It will be' further noted that; the porcelain shell 9' is a, oneiece shell having merely axial openings a, the top and bot tom, so that the entire shell is imperfprate, and forms athorough damp proofand dust proofhousing for the socket.

It" is to beunderstood that by describing in detail herein any particular form, structure or arrangement, i is notintended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims or the requirements of the prior art.

Having thus explained: the nature of my sai'd' invention and described a way of constructihs n us ng h Same, 'al wh without attempting to set forth all of t forms in which it may be made, or all of the modes of its use, I' claim:

1. A lani p, socket fixture comprising a shell having an opening at its lower end, a, threaded ljainp socket inserti'ble into the shell and. removable therefrom through, said opening, and s ring means carried by said socket and engageable with the shell for releasably securing the socket within the shell, said shell extending upwardly above the socket a substantial distance to. form between said socket and the upper end of said shell a compartment of substantial size,

A l te soc et fixt mpr in a she l of me iat g ma r a h v ng an ope i g a ts o r and, thr aded me Q k' t i r ab in o the, shel hr ugh a psi ing an rem a th r t glh a d p urality of upwardlvextending spring members carried by the socket and engaqeable with the interior of said shell to hold the ocket in posit on. aid s e xt nding, Pr wardly a, substantial distance above the socket to torn; between said socket and the. pp n of th s ll 3 na tnwn f substantial size.

3. A lamp socketfixture comprising a shell having an opening at its lower end, a threaded lamp socket insertable therein and removable therefrom through said opening and located within the shell, an insulating member carried by the socket, said shell having interior notches above said socket, and locking arms carried by said socket extending upwardly therefrom within the shell and adapted to engage in said notches, said arms being releasable from the notches and the socket being removable through said opening.

4-. A lamp socket fixture comprising a shell having an opening at its lower end, a threaded lamp socket insertable therein and removable therefrom through said opening and located within the shell, an insulating member carried by the socket, said shell having interior notches above said socket, and locking arms carried by said socket ex tending upwardly therefrom within the shell and adapted to engage in said notches, said arms being releasable from the notches and the socket being removable through said opening, said shell being extended a substantial distance upwardly above said socket to form a compartment of substantial size between said insulating member and the top of the shell.

5. A lamp socket fixture comprising a shell having an opening at its lower end, a threaded lamp socket insertable therein and removable therefrom through said opening and located within the shell, an insulating member secured to the top of said socket, and locking arms carried by the socket and projecting upwardly above the top of said insulating member, said shell being formed to interlock interiorly with said arms whereby to retain the socket in position, and said arms being releasable and the socket being removable through said opening.

6. A lamp fixture comprising a one-piece shell having a threaded nipple at the top thereof and an opening at the bottom, said shell having interiorly thereof above the bottom a plurality of notches, a lamp socket insertable through the bottom opening of saidv Shell, and a plurality of spring members carried by said socket and having projecting means adapted to engage in said notches for releasabl locking the socket and shell together, said shell having at the bottom thereof a plurality of interior vertical grooves alined with said recesses, each groove terminating below a recess.

7. A lamp fixture comprising a shell having an opening at the bottom and an opening of less diameter at the top and also having a plurality of closed recesses in the in terior wall thereof, a socket having projecting spring members adapted to cooperate with said recesses to releasably lock the socket within the shell, said socket being removable merely by pulling it from the shell to release the spring locking members from the recesses.

8. A lamp fixture comprising a tubular shell having an opening at the bottom, a socket including a threaded member insertable thru said opening, said socket and shell having cooperating means for automatically locking the same together, said means being concealed within said shell whereby they are directly inaccessible from the outside of the shell and being automatically releasable merely by drawing the socket downwardly thru said opening' 9. A lamp socket comprising a screw threaded shell adapted to receive a lamp, a metallic member secured to the top of said shell and comprising a piece of metal bent at the ends to provide upwardly projecting spring arms, each having a laterally projecting lug, said metal being bent intermediate said arms to provide a binding post.

10. A lamp socket fixture comprising a shell having an opening at its lower end of sufficient size to permit the insertion and withdrawal therethrough of a lamp socket, and a reduced opening at the upper end for the passage of wires, a lamp socket housed within said shell, locking arms carried by the socket and having their free ends projecting upwardly therefrom toward the upper end of said shell, said shell being interiorly provided with notches adapted to cooperate with said locking arms, at least one of said arms being inwardly movable from said shell to permit release of the socket, and said arms being releasable and the socket being removable through said opening.

11. A lamp fixture comprising a tubular shell having imperforate side walls and having openings at the top and bottom, said shell having adjacent to the top thereof interior closed notches, a socket including a screw threaded shell insertable thru the bot; tom opening and having projecting locking members terminating above the top of the socket and automatically locked in said notches, said locking members being concealed Within said shell whereby they are directly inaccessible from the outside of the shell and being releasable by pulling the socket downwardly through said bottom opening.

Signed at 1822 Park Row Building, New York city, N. Y., this 4th day of September, 1924.

FRANK LOUIS on LA POTTERIE. 

